'Mormon girls' poke fun at Utah names in YouTube video

Comments

I think our modern Western culture is perhaps the first in history to give their
children sounds for names, instead of a word that actually means something
significant. Native American names like Sitting Bull, etc carried special
meanings, just as ancient Israelite names did (ie, Jesus wasn't named that
because it sounded cute, rather because the name literally means 'Jehovah
saves' in Hebrew). Our Western culture used to name its children after
ancestors or other individuals who might serve as role models. It's a pity
that we have now turned to labeling our children forever with cute sounds, like
McKayla and a thousand other names that have no meaning whatsoever. A name can
be such a significant thing that it's a shame to waste such an opportunity.
My name is David, which means 'beloved' in Hebrew and is of course the
name of one of the greatest Bible heroes. That has been an inspiration to me
since I was old enough to learn about the Biblical David. Too bad so many kids
will never have that kind of legacy.

NedGrimleyBrigham City, UT

Dec. 13, 2012 10:08 a.m.

I've never, in my 57 years, had anyone ask me if I wanted my items in a
sack. "paper or plastic" maybe. And then I just told them I don't
use credit cards...

holly56LOVELAND, CO

Dec. 12, 2012 9:32 p.m.

Bwahahaha! My given name is HOLLIS!!! But I'm 56 years old... LOL

SLC galSalt Lake City, UT

Dec. 12, 2012 10:55 a.m.

It's not a "Utah" thing. It's a US thing. Am I the only one
who thinks it's a little obnoxious that these girls are running around
making fun of UT when they're not really Utahns?

Brent WaltonGIG HARBOR, WA

Dec. 12, 2012 10:37 a.m.

I am not a girl, but I've always wondered why my name was so concentrated
in Utah. Every other Brent I've known also had Utah roots.

AllenSalt Lake valley, UT

Dec. 12, 2012 10:37 a.m.

@Lasvegaspam

Colloquialism really is regional, as you said. Your
example of a sack/bag is a good example, because in West Virginia those things
are called pokes.

If parents choose to give a child a strange name
with weird spelling, that is their choice. I may think their choices are strange
and funny, but I will never say anything to their child. Friendships are based
on human relations not on the names we were given. My given name has the
spelling of a surname not of a given name, because I was named after my great
grandmother, Martha Allen. If people spell my name Alan or Allan, that's
fine with me. They are conditioned to use the common spelling while I was given
a different spelling. A similar situation exists with my surname of Leigh. My
family pronounces it lay while the traditional pronunciation is lee. As long as
I know they are referring to me, I don't care how they pronounce it. (I
used to correct people until I had a math teacher at USU who ignored my
corrections and continued to call me lee. After my experiences with her, I
realized her pronunciation was not important)

WonderProvo, UT

Dec. 12, 2012 10:17 a.m.

Another Utahism -- "oh my heck."

Mike in SandySandy, UT

Dec. 12, 2012 8:02 a.m.

Names aside---I speak of usage, grammar, sentence structure and syntax---- I
have never seen the butchering of the English language as rampant as it is here
in Utah.

Mom of 8Hyrum, UT

Dec. 12, 2012 7:59 a.m.

When I lived in Virginia I saw a lot of strange names, too, unfortunately
because parents were only semi-literate. One checker at a grocery store had the
name of "Chasity" on her badge, but it was pronounced
"Chastity."

She insisted the rest of the world didn't
know how to spell the word right, not her parents.

We purposely made
sure none of our children have names that begin with a "Mc" or a K, or
named them after cities.

Perhaps we need to resurrect good solid
old-fashioned names, like Walter and Ethyl . . .

MA in MDFROSTBURG, MD

Dec. 12, 2012 7:34 a.m.

Uh, no ... these are a burden to a child, but not as bad as the ones that come
from the inner city neighborhoods of Baltimore!

anti-liarSalt Lake City, UT

Dec. 12, 2012 5:31 a.m.

To some here, of course people shouldn't make fun of or roll their eyes at
others' names. The problem is that we are not in a perfect world and some
will do it anyway. This is why naming a girl "Abraham" is such an
ill-advised idea.

AllenSalt Lake valley, UT

Dec. 11, 2012 11:54 p.m.

I knew a guy named Donald Duckworth. He changed his name to Peter.

Phillip M HotchkissMalta, Mt

Dec. 11, 2012 8:53 p.m.

You can say that again lasvegaspam

LasvegaspamHenderson, NV

Dec. 11, 2012 8:32 p.m.

Ooops, BigBopper, a sore spot was obviously hit. However, I must add that
Vernal, where you write from, has that same Utah-sounding twang which causes
people to say it out loud in funny ways! Nothing personal; it’s just the
way it is.

Just as your choice of using the phrase “my
word” reveals something about you, so does your asking, “What about
the traditions of taking part of each of the parent’s names to name a
child?” Are you surprised that both are foreign to someone like me who
was born and raised in Chicago? The point is that the world is larger than
Vernal OR Utah.

Good for you to not make fun of a name given by a
loving parent; however, the world will and does! One does a disservice to a
child when one saddles him/her with a colloquial-type name. FYI, colloquialism
means local or regional dialect. (Example: At the grocery store Utahns will ask
if you’d like your items in a “sack”. Everywhere else
I’ve ever lived, the word “bag” is used.)

LasvegaspamHenderson, NV

Dec. 11, 2012 12:25 p.m.

Ooops, BigBopper, a sore spot was obviously hit. However, I must add that
Vernal, where you write from, has that same Utah-sounding twang which causes
people to say it out loud in funny ways! Nothing personal; it’s just the
way it is.

Just as your choice of using the phrase “my
word” reveals something about you, so does your asking, “What about
the traditions of taking part of each of the parent’s names to name a
child?” Are you surprised that both are foreign to someone like me who
was born and raised in Chicago? The point is that the world is larger than
Vernal OR Utah.

Good for you to not make fun of a name given by a
loving parent; however, the world will and does! One does a disservice to a
child when one saddles him/her with a colloquial-type name. FYI, colloquialism
means local or regional dialect. (Example: At the grocery store Utahns will ask
if you’d like your items in a “sack”. Everywhere else the
word “bag” is used.)

CBSalt Lake City, UT

Dec. 11, 2012 12:18 p.m.

This is great! And I thought I had a problem with my name (Cheryl) while
growing up (1940's)

BigBopperVernal, UT

Dec. 11, 2012 10:52 a.m.

Who really cares what you name your child? My word, this has to be the most
pointless article. A bunch of Michigan people making fun of Utah names? Get a
life. I named my children a variety of distinct names, or paring of names, and
I am proud of it. I also spell them differently than the 'norm.'
What is that to you? For the Mormons, what if you are hit with inspiration?
What about of the traditions of taking part of each of the parent's names
to name a child? Who cares. If there is one thing, I will not make fun of a
name given by a loving parent, you shouldn't either.

GeoManSALEM, OR

Dec. 11, 2012 9:47 a.m.

The problem with people poking fun at Utah, or Mormon, names is that they fail
to realize that these types of names are common throughout the US. The only
explanation I can come up with is that people grow up in a bubble where they
think everyone has names from a short list and then as they move somewhere else,
or go to a university, they suddenly realize that the world is much bigger.
Apparently it frightens them and they respond by trying to incorrectly
compartmentalize the "differences" into geography. Just go to any
of the many states that publish lists of the names registered on birth
certificates each year and you will quickly see that New York, Oregon,
Minnesota, Alabama, and California, etc. all have a rich and diverse supply of
"creative" parents that are not from Utah. Nor do they all belong to
Utah's predominant religion.The video was cute. I think I would have
toned down some of the accents and hairdos. To each his own, but even
caricatures can be too extreme to be funny. Maybe they will do a sequel where
they get people with their real names and accents on camera?

Johnny TriumphAmerican Fork, UT

Dec. 11, 2012 9:34 a.m.

Making fun of names, no matter how impractical they may seem, is a horrible
practice. We should celebrate people for who they are and not how ridiculous
their names may be. These two girls have done this for comedic effect, not to
share unique Utah names, as they manifested by changing the spelling of a name
to make it funnier. They should be ashamed for this behavior. Most parents
lovingly give their children names and they should not be made fun of, just as
anyone of any certain physical/racial trait should be respected and not derided.
Shame on them and shame on the rest of us for making fun of things like this.

O'reallyIdaho Falls, ID

Dec. 11, 2012 8:39 a.m.

They should do a video on Idaho names,too. Oh my!

MaxCharlotte, NC

Dec. 11, 2012 7:39 a.m.

Very funny but not at all unique to Utah. These girls ought to come down south
sometime if they want a REAL feast of names.

chinamomCottonwood Heights, UT

Dec. 11, 2012 2:11 a.m.

LOVED.THIS. We have definitely moved past all the "La" names of the
early decades....LaVeryl, LaShal, LaMeryl, etc....that used to be so
prevalent.....So much more creative now.....(is this when I should admit my
oldest child has a "La" name...but ONLY because he was named after a
wonderful relative my hubby respected and honored....??)

Rural sport fanDUCHESNE, UT

Dec. 10, 2012 11:27 p.m.

Hey, Go Big Blue!

The word is "phonetically", and you are
right, they are "hilarious". Until the 1000th time poor Xela has to
explain it is "shayla", not zeela.

Seriously, some cultures
spell names strangely because they are mostly semi-literate, Utah does it to be
cute? Knock it off!

Maybe names like these are why so many
significant Utahns use initials in their names, so they can be taken seriously?

JoeBlowFar East USA, SC

Dec. 10, 2012 7:46 p.m.

Le-a is pronounced Ledasha in SC. (because the - is not silent)

Kjirstin YoungbergMapleton, UT

Dec. 10, 2012 7:37 p.m.

The comments above mention job and school issues. My research bore this out as
well. Many employers put oddly-named prospective employees straight into the
trash can. Kids have it tough enough without having to go through life with a
name like Latrina. (Yes, that jewel was recently bestowed upon a precious Utah
girl.)

When asked to write a baby name book*, I approached this
topic gingerly, as I have nieces with very unusual names. Imagine my shock while
researching for the book that my nieces names (entirely made-up by their
parents) had ancient and even sacred roots. In some countries, they are not at
all uncommon.

Wes and Kari Clark have a terrific website on the
subject, and have been collecting names for over a decade. I tried to post their
site, but DN rules forbid it, so google wesclark, utah baby names. It is
definitely worth a read.

(*Sacred Baby Names, published this year by
CFI and available at Deseret Book)

Dadof5sonsMontesano, WA

Dec. 10, 2012 7:08 p.m.

another name for a boy is NonsMoking! kid you not the mom and dad thought it
would cool to remind their kid to live the word of wisdom. it is no smoking put
it all together an and is sounds like Nos_Mo_king. Parents that saddle their
children with names like this should be slapped!

Phillip M HotchkissMalta, Mt

Dec. 10, 2012 6:10 p.m.

I heard of a song called boy named Sue

HutteriteAmerican Fork, UT

Dec. 10, 2012 5:34 p.m.

They may not be mormons but the Palin family has also read the book 'baby
names that will leave people scratching their heads' as well.

awsomeron1Oahu, HI

Dec. 10, 2012 4:12 p.m.

Strange that this would matter but it does. My wife and I gave our kids gender
neutral names for that among other reasons. Also names that could not be twisted
or made fun of on the School Grounds. People do miss out on jobs or even
callings because of their name. Sad to say Mr. Straight and Uptight the Employer
tends to be right. However sometimes you can miss out on a real Gem.Name
selection can become an excuse for poor self esteem or great confidence
depending on how it is handled. I once worked a Direct Marketing Room with a
Women named Peaches and she did poorly despite doing everything right. We got
her to use her Middle Name which was more reasonable and her sales climbed way
up. It appears No one was going to buy anything from anyone named Peaches.
Sunshine and Pepperoni don't work well either. If you need to as an Adult
you can go to Court and have your named changed it is not very expensive and you
don't need a lawyer.It can mean a life time in difference in earnings and
self esteem.

SillyRabbitLayton, 00

Dec. 10, 2012 3:04 p.m.

I've only made one decree about my children, so far, and that is their
names will not begin with the letter K.

Whenever I read a reworked
baby name that starts with a K, I feel like telling the parents,
"Congratulations on your creativity, oh, I mean, Kongratulations on your
kreativity."

Brave Sir RobinSan Diego, CA

Dec. 10, 2012 2:17 p.m.

My sister-in-law just had her first kid and gave her one of these atrocious
"Utah names"...I asked her why and she told me it's because she
wants her daughter to feel unique and special. I told her that if the
daughter's name is what's going to make her feel unique and special,
then she and my brother-in-law are not doing a very good job as parents. You
can be named Elizabeth and still feel unique and special. Plus my sister-in-law
has ruined any chance my poor niece ever had at being taken seriously. I hope
when she's old enough she changes her name to something dignified.

H-manShreveport, LA

Dec. 10, 2012 12:10 p.m.

I agree with Go Big Blue!!! The phenomenon is not a Utah thing. I live in
Louisiana, and I could have sworn the girls in the video had gathered their list
from from school rosters here.

Go Big Blue!!!Bountiful, UT

Dec. 10, 2012 12:03 p.m.

Utah is not that strange. A friend of mine did his medical internship in
Memphis and kept tract of all of the crazy names he heard and saw come through
the hospital. The phenetically spelled names were really hillarious.

hardwareErda, Ut

Dec. 10, 2012 11:20 a.m.

I wish people would think twice before they saddle their kid with a name setting
them up for failure. I know employers that read those names and chuck the
application in the trash before even giving the individual a chance. They
don't want "free spirits". They want solid employees and this one
boss said he can tell what kind of family a child came from by their made up
name and they usually aren't committed individuals.

coleman51Orem, UT

Dec. 10, 2012 8:57 a.m.

A truly Utah classic. Should be shown at every maternity ward in the State.

NightTraderCalgary AB, 00

Dec. 10, 2012 7:41 a.m.

Just as intriguing are the rather unique to Utah hairstyles, also fairly well
represented in the same video.